Design Studio as a Process of Inquiry: The case of Studio Sao Paulo

Resumo

The paper stresses the potential of a Design Studio as a critical part of the inquiryprocess in Urbanism Research, using the experience of Studio Sao Paulo as casestudy. It explores what is a process of inquiry in a context of research in urbanism,discoursing on the potential of the design process as a tool to reveal hidden questionsand processes on a territorial scale The research and its case study led to theestablishment of Studio Sao Paulo, an undergraduate design studio in KULeuven, inwhich students develop their masters thesis in the context of Tietê´s flood plain. Theexperience so far, more than defining conclusions, stress some challenges toovercome, regarding research by design as methodological tool in an Urbanism PHDcontext.Keywords: Research by design research, urbanism, urban design studio.